'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Wednesday, 1 June 2016

Review: What Could It Be?

This shape is a circle. What else could it be?

With that question, readers are invited to look at the illustrations, and the world around them, to find circles in unexpected places – the shell of a snail, fruits in a fruit bowl, spectacle lenses, flowers, insects and more.

What Could It Be? offers an interactive reading experience for preschool and early school-aged children. The sparse rhyming text flows well, the colourful illustrations are fun and engaging for young readers, and the leading questions – What else could it be? Can you find a green square? How many other triangles can you find? – encourage children to examine the details in the illustrations.

The story covers the expected basic shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle) as well as some less familiar shapes (hexagon, oval, octagon). The book concludes with some suggestions for shape-related activities including a link to upload images of artworks for others to see, once again encouraging children to interact with the themes of the books and expand them to apply to their own personal environment.

What Could It Be? is the debut picture book by WA-based teacher Sally Fawcett and her experience in the classroom is evident in the way the story inspires children to ask questions and think creatively about their world. There are extensive teachers’ notes and materials available for teachers and carers looking to incorporate the book into their lesson plans.

This fun and interactive story is a wonderful introduction to Sally Fawcett’s talents as an author and illustrator.

Title: What Could It Be?
Author/Illustrator: Sally Fawcett
Publisher: EK Books, $24.99
Publication Date: 1 June 2016
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781925335026
For ages: 3 - 7
Type: Picture Book